The Rescue
by Richefic
Summary: After a mission gone wrong Hannibal helps Face realise what is really important. Complete at last!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer – Still not mine. Never will be.

***

This time. This time someone would answer. I looked around at the anxious, eager, faces of my unit and flashed them my most confident smile.

_Please God let someone answer._

I turned my attention to the radio, repeating our call signal, and hoped to hear, something, anything but the empty static we'd been getting for the last few days.

"Face?" A voice came through, worry and hope evident in equal measure.

I blinked. The Team wasn't supposed to be this far out. The brass would throw a fit.

Maybe I was hallucinating. It had been a while since I ate properly. 

"Hannibal?" I managed, just before another hail of bullets sent me diving for cover.

"Face? Lieutenant? Report!" the radio barked.

I crawled back towards the radio and clicked it over.

"Sorry about the noise. These guys really know how to throw a party." I rasped.

"Well I've got news for you Lieutenant," His voice softened in amusement and relief. "You're way past curfew."

Another round of bullets came closer than I'd like. I clutched my radio like a talisman. 

"Hold on kid." His voice was sure and calm. "We'll get you out."

The Huey came in at an angle that could only mean one thing. Murdock was flying. 

The covering fire provided the distraction that we had desperately needed and covered the small clearing in a haze of smoke and dust, as the Huey came in to land.

"Face!" Hannibal was out of the bird, before it had even touched the ground. "Face!"

His eyes are searching the clearing. He looks tried and strained. I swallow.

My automatic reply caught on the lump in my throat. God its so good to see him.

I feel shattered mind. body and soul. My hands shake slightly as I struggled to heft my rifle over my shoulder. My eyes feel like they were burning holes in my face. Five days straight in hostile territory, there were times I didn't think we were going to make it. Any of us.

I draw myself up and take a step to meet him. I make a shaky salute. I see the surprise in his eyes. Its not something I normally do.

"Omega squad reporting as ordered Sir." I manage.

He returns the salute. And I feel an overwhelming sense of relief. He has command.

"You're a little tardy Lieutenant."

His voice is rich and warm and gentle. I swallow and force a smile on my face and try for nonchalance.

"We took the scenic route."

He doesn't buy it. He never does. He's the only person I've ever met that I've never been able to con.

His eyes rake across me. 

I know I'm a mess. My face is splattered with mud and blood. My hair is matted and sticking out at odd angles. I've lost pounds I can ill afford to loose. But I'm whole. Mostly. 

Numbly I hear him giving orders. Around us the unit makes its weary way to the Helicopters that now almost fill the small clearing.. Then I feel his hand, warm and sure on my shoulder. 

"You okay kid?"

The kindness in his voice is almost most more than I can bear. Why is it that I can take a bullet without flinching, but a kind look or a gentle word from this man threatens to rip through all my defenses?

"Yeah." My voice cracks and I swallow. "I'm fine Hannibal." There that sounds better.

Or maybe I'm not as good a conman as I think, because suddenly I'm pulled in a fierce hard hug. The rough kaki of his jacket rubs against my face. He smells of gun oil and sweat and safety. 

"You did good kid." He pats my back. "Real good."

"Damn me." Ray appears, his voice was tinged with awe. "Walker, Timms, Sanders, .. " His voice trails off as he realizes we're all here. and I feel oddly light headed. I did it. I kept them alive.

"You're a piece of work, you know that?" Ray's voice is taught with emotion as he reaches out and gives me an awkward one handed hug. "One helluva piece of work." Then he pulls back and smiles that dangerous smile. "Oh man I am so gonna clean up. The odds were enormous."

"The odds?" I quirk a brow. I can see where this is going and I'm not sure how I feel about it. 

"Face. It was an opportunity waiting to happen. I had faith in you."

"You bet the lot?" I'm stunned. "All our stash?"

"Every cent." He grinned. 

I don't know what to say. 

Luckily I don't have to say anything because I'm suddenly hit by a whirlwind of leather jacket and baseball cap. "Face!"

Murdock hugs me – hard and tight – holding on so long that I feel the need to reassure him. "Its OK Murdock. I'm fine. I'm OK."

He pulls back and looks me up and down. "Are you?" he asks. Dead serious.

I squirm a little under that penetrating glance. Don't let Murdock fool you, under all that flakiness he is a force to be reckoned with. "I will be." I say more honestly. Then, as always, I try to lighten the moment. "At least once I've had a hot shower and a change of clothes." I grin shakily.

Ray snorts his opinion of that. Murdock rolls his eyes.

Hannibal smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes and I know I'm not going to get off that easily.

"We're done here Hannibal." B.A. comes up beside us wearing his habitual scowl.

I flick a glance at him. His expression doesn't change. 

"O.K. Sergeant. Let's move out." Hannibal acknowledges.

Wearily I reach over to pick up my pack. Only to have a large gentle hand close over my own.

"You done enough today, little brother," B.A. informs me quietly, hoisting my pack and my weapon onto his own shoulders. "Let us carry things for a bit."

He's talking about more than the pack and we both know it.

It scares me. I'm not used to trusting people. Always know a little more than your mark. Always keep control. Its safer.

They call me Face. Most people think its because of my looks and I'm happy to let them. The truth is a little too close to the bone. I remember the way Ray had gawped after that first scam. Hannibal had just arched a brow. "It seem our Lieutenant is a face for every occasion." And Face I became. Somehow its more me that any other name I've had.

"C'mon kid." Hannibal drops an arm around my shoulders and shepherds me to the waiting bird.

As we lift Ray starts to banter with B.A., keeping his mind off the impending flight and then Murdock starts in.

I let their voices wrap around me like a warm familiar blanket.

I'm safe.

At least for the moment.

Because, when Hannibal finds out what happened out here. He's gonna kill me for sure.


	2. Chapter Two

Face looked the picture of relaxation. His head was tipped back against the wall of the Huey, his eyes all but closed.

I knew better. 

Not just because where his thigh and arm touched mine I felt the tremors running through him. Or that I could see his eyes moving incessantly beneath those slit lids. But because I've been there. The burden of command. Its never easy to let go.__

God but I'm glad to get him back in one piece. Damn. We're lucky this screw up didn't cost us lives.

The kid did good. I knew seasoned officers that wouldn't have held things together as well as he did.

"Face." Ray nudged him.

The kid opened one eye. Like I said the picture of relaxation.

Ray passed him a candy bar. The kid raised a thin smile. The hand he reached out shook noticeably. The kid saw it too and quickly pulled it back into in his lap.

I made a quick decision. "Murdock. I think I hear a rattling."

Murdock half turns and looked in my direction, his brow creased in surprise and concern that something might, in fact, be wrong with his beloved bird.

He must have read my expression though because he grinned.

"Yes Sir."

We made a completed unauthorized detour to Saigon. I left Murdock and B.A. to take care of the bird. Ray to inform the base of our 'delay' and I took the kid to secure some accommodations.

I headed purposefully towards the best Hotel in town.

Suddenly the kid stopped dead and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "I'm gonna need a chance of clothes." He blurted.

He looked surprised when I shot him a glance. Like he didn't mean to say that aloud.

"Don't worry about it Face" I tried to reassure him.

I wanted to get him into a hot bath and a soft bed before he fell asleep on his feet. I could send Murdock out to get him some clothes later. He knew what the kid liked.

"Shit Hannibal." He shook his head, his voice tight. "I'm not a damn miracle worker." 

I blinked. That's not like Face. Then even as I watched I could see him straighten his shoulders, smoothing his hands over his bedraggled uniform. Suddenly I understood. Poor kid thought I wanted him to scam us some rooms.

I put my hand on his arm. "Not this time Face."

He blinked at me. His eyes wide and uncomprehending. 

I waved away his protests as I paid at the reception with actual money. 

As we travelled up in the elevator his ramrod posture deserted him and he sagged against the mirrored wall. I think about priorities. Bath first. Then bed. He can eat when he wakes up.

He trailed unhappily after me into the suite. It cost a little more, but I wanted the Team together tonight. We all needed it. I opened my mouth to order the kid into the bath. He beat me to it.

"I'm sorry Hannibal." He blurted, looking downright ashamed of himself.

"What?" I frowned at him. 

In answer he waved his hand at the opulence around us. Jesus does the kid really think I'm such an orgre that I'm gonna made him work when he was dead on his feet?

I filed that thought away for later. Right now, I just steered him into the bathroom.

"Sit." I pushed him down on the closed toilet seat. Then turned to fiddle with the taps. As the room began to fill with steam I turned back to the kid.

He hadn't moved.

"Need a hand?" I suggested.

He struggled to rouse himself. "I can manage."

"Uh huh." I don't leave.

I gave him am minute.

No reaction.

"Face?" I prompted.

With a sigh he fumbled with the buttons on the front of his shirt. Several agonizing minutes later he finally had it undone.

Then he leant over and begans to tug at the laces on his boots. One of them was snarled and caked with mud. He tugged harder and it snapped off in his hand. He looked miserably at the frayed cotton thread.

Without a word I knelt down and deftly dealt with the laces. Putrid socks followed to reveal, red, swollen, feet. Gently, I pulled the toes apart and a thick tell tale musk filled the room as I surveyed the cracked, infected, skin.

"Ouch." I exclaimed sympathetically. "What were you trieding to do? Walk back?"

He turned away and I curse, whoever or whatever made a bright, eager, kid feel so damn worthless.

I pulled him to his feet.

He rolled his eyes, but allowed me to help him out of his pants. Then I steadied him as he peels off his T-Shirt.

I froze. His back was covered in yellow bruises and fading red welts.

Those didn't happen in the last five days. Feeling me tense he half turned his eyes questioning.

"What the hell happened to you?" I demanded.

He blinked, then understanding flashed across his face, he flushed a deep red as he turned away. "Its nothing."

"The hell it isn't Lieutenant." I snapped.

The welts and boot size bruises told their own story. With sudden inspiration I reached out and turned over his wrist. The thin red marks have faded slightly. But they are there.

Handcuffs.

"And when were you planning on telling me about this?" I heard the ice in my voice.

He swallowed. But raises his head and meets my eyes squarely.

"I wasn't."

"I beg your pardon _Lieutenant_." I glowered.

"I believe the Colonel heard me the first time. _Sir_." His eyes flashed.


	3. Chapter Three

I looked at him for a long moment and I see him start to wonder if anyone will ever find his remains. _Or even care to look. _

Wearily, I scrubbed at my face.

"Face." I reached out a  hand and tipped his chin up, forcing him to look me in the eyes. "I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at the people who hurt you."

He looked at me wordlessly. Like he can't work out if he is in trouble or not.

Much as I want to get into this, now is not the time.

Kid looks dead on his feet.

I slipped my hand up his neck to ruffle his hair gently.

"Don't worry about it."

Ignoring his look of surprise, I shepherded him into the hot scented water, and watched as he closed his eyes in blissful contentment.

"Feels good huh?" I chuckled.

"Uh huh." He managed..

A sharp sweet smell of soap cuts through the air as I poured some shampoo into my palm and started to massage it into his scalp.

One bright blue eye popped open in surprise.

"Take it easy," I smiled. "I'm not going to make a habit of this."

"S'nice." He murmured, then froze.

I bit back a grin. Its not like Face to be so candid. He must be even more tired than I thought.

"Didn't anyone ever do this for you when you were a kid?"

"Are you kidding?" he laughed. "The nuns had us well trained."

I paused momentarily, before scrubbing his scalp a little harder than before.

"You don't talk much, about your childhood."

Beneath my hands I felt him tense.

"What's to tell?" He tried for nonchalance. "You're seen my records."

"Exactly," I said dryly. "And sooner or later, I want to hear the truth, Lieutenant."

Oh, the paperwork is flawless. There's nothing there to hint that the paper trail is anything but 100% genuine. And maybe it is. The kid sure has a knack for getting what he wants.

But the information in there is an entirely different matter.

His army records say he is twenty three.

He isn't.

He flinched, just slightly. You would have to know him real well to notice.

Or be paying real close attention.

"Can we go for later?" he sighed, knowing that he is merely postponing the inevitable.

Sure," I grinned. "We can talk right after you finish your nap."

"Hann – ib - al!" my green beret Lieutenant whined like a ten year old.

***

"How is he Colonel?" Murdock asked worriedly, as he came in and perches on the edge of the overstuffed couch.

I went over and put a hand on the Captain's shoulder.

"He's going to be fine Murdock. He's home and he's safe and we're going to take real good care of him. He'll be back to his old self in no time."

I can't have sounded as sure as I'd like. Because B.A. spoke up softly.

"He'll be OK, Hannibal."

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "He's stronger than he looks."

"Hey guys," Face was leaning against the door jamb. "Is this a private party or can anyone join in?"

I blink. First time I heard that note in his voice we'd just got back after a three day forced march through dense jungle. Ray was out of it. Even B.A. was 'resting his eyes' Face was telling me he wasn't tried.

Right before he collapsed.

I learnt to listen for that tone after that.

"Sit down before you fall down, Lieutenant." I spoke casually, but Face knew an order when he heard one.

'Faceman, you O.K?' B.A. sounded worried. 

'I'm fine B.A."

He doesn't sound it.

I walked over to stand in front of him. He looked up at me from under that swathe of blonde hair. His eyes looked bright, almost brittle.

"Face?" 

He glanced up to asses my mood. And promptly sighed. I bit back a smile. No one could ever accuse the kid of being slow.

'Hannibal. Its nothing. Just a few bruises."

"What you talking about?" B.A. scowled fiercely.

"Take you shirt off," I ordered gently. "Let me take a look."

"I .. um .. don't think I can." He grinned sheepishly.

Without a word I reached over and unbuttoned the pajama shirt. B.A. comes round behind him and helps me to ease the material off his shoulders.

"When the hell did that happen?" Ray explodes.

"Um. Last week." Face shrugged, as if that would answer all our questions.

"A lot of things happened last week, Facey." Murdock sounds worried.

As well he might.

***

_I had only been gone a few days. Seeing Murdock waiting for me twisting his baseball cap in his hands I sighed. I had seen BA working in the motor pool as the plane had come into land. So that left …_

_"Face you gave me your word you wouldn't do anything while I was gone." I sighed._

_Murdock was hopping from foot to foot in agitation._

_"Um Colonel sir. We have a teensy, tiny, problem."_

_"Report Captain." I kept walking, leaving him to scamper alongside._

_"Um.__ Face and I went for a little walk .." he offered. _

_"Please don't tell me you got caught." I said flatly._

_"Oh, OK." Murdorck agreed unhappily. "So, how was you're trip ..?"_

_"Murdock .. I thought we talked about these little excursions?" I sigh._

_+++_

_They were damned good. If  I hadn't been making his own way back, I  would never have heard them. Not a drunken giggle or a misplaced step betrayed them._

_That said, they showed all the signs of a good night out. Murdock's hat was decidedly tilted and his shirt was only half tucked in. Face had somehow acquired a blue silk shirt, and for some reason wasn't wearing any boots._

_They were both grinning fit to burst._

_ Sometimes being in charge sucked._

_"Care to tell me where you have been gentlemen?"_

_Murdock whirled and blinked at him like a startled rabbit, then drew himself up to attention. Face's head came up sharply, shock abruptly giving way to his poker face as he too mirrored Murdock's stance._

_"Well?" I  kept my tone cool._

_"Um.__ Training maneuvers Colonel." Face offered._

_I  bit__ back a grin. I wondered where the kid was going with this._

_"Training maneuvers?" He quirked a brow._

_"Um.__ Yes Sir." I  could almost see the kid improvising. "In .. um .. evading capture."_

_ "Ah." I  nodded. "Very commendable Lieutenant."_

_"It is?" Face blinked._

_Murdock winced._

_"Um.__ Yes Sir." Face nodded._

_"Except for one small point Lieutenant."__ I said smoothly._

_"Colonel?"._

_"You got caught."_

_"Aw __Hannibal_."___ Face forgot about being in trouble at the unfairness of that. "We made it past the perimeter guards and the ones  posted in the compound. And the ones in the pit. We made it all the way back here. No one even knew we were gone."_

_"My point exactly Lieutenant."__ I frowned. "Running rings around those  goons is one thing. But I expect to be aware of your whereabouts, at all times, is that clear?"_

_"We're sorry Colonel." Murdock twisted his cap sincerely. "We just thought that if we asked you. You'd say no." _

_This time it was Face who winced._

_I  smiled__ dangerously._

_"And you've have been right, Captain. Dead right."_

_"Whereas, now we're just dead."__ Face murmured, sotto voice._

+++

_"Um.__ Yes sir. We did," Murdock agreed. "The Colonel made his feeling quite plain, Colonel, sir."_

_"Plainly not clear enough," I muttered. "Alright, where is he?"_

_"Um.__ In the brig, sir. The brass are fixing to send him back to __Leavenworth__."_

_***_

"You never did tell me how they captured you, Lieutenant?" I ask casually.

"Does it matter?" he tried to grin.

But he's nervous. He's not sure if I know or not.

"Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if you had walked up to the guards and asked them directions to Los Angeles." I raised a brow.

He pauses just a second too long. And I know I have him.

"The truth, Lieutenant." I growl. Not even Face will play fast and loose with that tone.

"Close enough." He acknowledged, "I didn't want to take a chance on them not catching me."

"You crazy fool?"

"What the hell .?"

"Facey ..!

I don't take my eyes off his.

"Was this part of the plan?" I gesture at his abused body. Don't get me wrong. A commander sometimes has to make hard decisions in the field. But the mild discomfort that you can expect from a normal mission was nothing compared to the brutality that Face had endured.

"Ah," Face tried to shift to a more comfortable position. "Not exactly."

"Start talking Face," I commanded. "I want to know who the hell thought they could take their boots and their nightstick to my Lieutenant when he was in irons and handcuffs."__


	4. Chapter Four

If you just want to find out how the story ends, you can skip this part and go on to the chapter! But I've had so much interest in what happened to this story that I owed you all some response to your comments.

I am truly sorry that this has taken me soo very long to update. I always intended to finish it, but events in my life made it impossible for me to work on more than one story at a time and pretty sporadically at that and since I had several stories on the go at the time this has taken some time. Over the past few months, I've been steadily plugging away at the outstanding stories, and regrettably this one did get left till last because the original premise kinda of got away from me and I wasn't 100% sure how I was going to finish it. I also don't usually write in the 1st person and I've discovered I don't like doing it very much and I didn't want to post something just for the sake of finishing the story if I wasn't happy with it.

Thanks to each and everyone of you for your reviews, I'm glad so many people have enjoyed it and thank you to everyone who begged for an update!! I try to write the kind of stories that I like to read and I especially like ones that focus on that father/son feeling between Hannibal and Face and a feeling of family with the rest of the team. My apologies to those of you who found the flashbacks confusing, when you can se the actors clearly sometimes its hard to know whether you are transmitting the full sense of that to your audience. As to grammar and punctuation, I do my best but don't always get it right when I'm tired!

And a minor note re military protocol, just because it came up. I'm afraid I know extremely little about American military protocol, and I'm sorry if that offends, but my aim was simply to portray the characters in character (and thanks to crazy 109 and abrose for backing Hannibal re the rattling sound!) and to move the story along in the context of the plotline. I thank you all for your patience and loyalty to the story and I hope the update is worth the wait.. Now onto the story!

!!!!

Abruptly, Face surged to his feet and started pacing back and forth across the room, leaving small bloody footprints from his abused feet on the rugs as he walked.. B.A. and Ray exchanged a look, but they held their peace, giving Face the space he needed. The kid ran a hand through his hair and looked at each of us in turn.

Nervous was not a good look on him.

"Face. Whatever it is. We'll deal with it. As a Team." I assured him.

"Oh damn, _Hannibal_." Face visibly crumpled.

I felt myself pale. He's scared. I could only imagine a handful of scenarios that would elect such an extreme reaction from my unflappable Lieutenant. And they were all bad.

"Face." I waited until the blue eyes looked at me. "Sit down, OK?"

He sat, but his eyes continued to dart around the room, as if to have them settle in one place for too long was physically painful to him.

Silently B.A. went into the bathroom. I heard a tap running. He came out holding a damp towel.

"I'm just gonna clean you up lit'le bro. OK?" Like tending to a wounded animal BA waited until Face dipped his head wearily before gently wiping the bleeding sores and cuts on his feet.

"Hannibal?" Face sounded lost.

"Right here, kid." I got off my chair and hunkered down to put my hand on Face's shoulder.

"Here Facey," Murdock knelt at his other side and offered a glass of water.

Face tried to drink, but his teeth chattered sharply against the rim of the glass.

"Easy Face," I soothed, gently plucking the glass from my Lieutenant's shaking hands. I slipped my palm behind his head and helped him to drink the cool liquid, the kid took grateful gulps. His eyes sought mine.

"S Sorry."

"Its just reaction," I soothed.

Frankly, I was surprised it hadn't happened earlier. The kid had almost died. But then, Face never liked to show any kind of weakness. It was an insecurity that even the Team couldn't quite banish. It worried me. Sometimes, it was no bad thing to holler louder then you needed, so the enemy would think you were closer to breaking. If we were ever captured .. still better not to think that way.  I don't know how long we sat like that. But gradually, I felt the worst of the tension leak out of the kid and he started to pull away. I didn't let him.

"What happened, Face?"

"Hannibal .. Can't you just drop it? Please? " I'm not accustomed to hearing my second sounding so _defeated. _I almost gave way. Almost.

"Try again, Lieutenant."

"Yeah, Facey. Why didn't you say you were hurt?" Murdock looked worried.

"I'm fine." Face assured him.

"I'll tell you when you are fine, Lieutenant," I scold, feeling more like a worried parent than a military commander. "Now cut to the chase."

Face settled himself slightly more comfortably in the circle of our concern and attempted to collect himself and his thoughts.

"Alright, you remember what I told you once .. about what makes a good con?"

"I remember everything you tell me kid," I stated simply. "The mark or the con man?"

When Face didn't answer I looked over to see him regarding me with an odd expression.

"What?"

"You remember everything I tell you?"

"Yes."

"Oh," Face gave me a crooked smile. "Well anyway. The mark."

"You have to let them think they're getting something they want."

"Exactly." Face nodded.

"Face, if this is about you posing as a photo journalist from Time Magazine to take risqué photos of the Nurses again .." I warned.

"No .. no .." Face assured me hurriedly, before pausing. "Um. You know about that?"

"I know everything kid," I smirked.

"Well, no .." Face said, looking a little put out. "It isn't about that."

"Or the hooky deal you got playing in the motor pool to bring in ice-cream in return for unlimited use of the jeeps?" B.A. put in.

"No," A faint scowl marred Face's perfect features, that that too, was apparently known. "It isn't about that, either."

"What about that scam you pulled last week, so that we got fresh pineapples in the mess hall?" Ray added.

"This has nothing to do with the pineapples!" Face protested.

"That's good, Faceman," Murdock spoke up. "Cos, I'd hate to think you were corrupting innocent young minds. Bad enough that the pineapples had to leave their home and their families and .."

"Shuttup fool," B.A. put in. "Faceman tryin' to talk."

"Look, guys," Face shifted uncomfortably. "Its not like a pretty face and some smooth talking works on every mark."

"Faceman, you better not be telling us you let somebody beat on you like this for some con." B.A. warned.

"Yeah man," Ray put in. "There ain't nothing we need that badly."

"No?" Face said softly. "What about Hannibal?"

Me? I sat up a little straighter, how the hell did this get to be all about me?

"If somebody doesn't tell me exactly what has been going on, you're all gonna have lots of time to reflect on the wisdom of keeping your commanding officer out of the loop while you are running the obstacle course, .. backwards." I said tightly.

It was an empty threat. I would never punish Face like that when he was hurting so badly. But I was far more interested in knowing what is going on with him and I'm not above making him think he'd better spill or his team mates will suffer. Sometimes, worrying about someone else, is the only way to get the kid to open up.

"Turns out Richards isn't as stupid as he looks." Face laughed hollowly.

A horrible cold certainty settled in my stomach like a lead weight as the pieces of the puzzles started to come together.

"Not again," I sighed.

"Richards?" B.A. scowled. "That fool bin after Hannibal again? Didn't he learn his lesson the last time?"

"Yeah," Ray chuckled at the memory. "We sure made him look dumb."

"You know, Colonel, one of these days you're gonna have to tell us you ever did to get him so riled up against you." Murdock said softly.

I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair. Murdock's right, Richards and I do have a history, one that goes back long before Nam. Nothing would please the man more than to see me busted back to private, .. or worse.

"Face, I was only gone for a couple of days. What the hell happened?"

I let him talk, not interrupting as he explained how Richards had set us up. A recent scam to help a soldier in need had, in fact, been entirely engineered by Richards to gather the evidence that he needed to see me before a court martial. It was just chance that I was called away to a meeting when Richards was ready to spring his trap. I pressed my lips together tightly, this was my fault. In future I would be far more careful about vetting our prospective "clients".

"That still doesn't explain why he went after you, kid."

Kicking the shit out of Face might have given Richards some temporary satisfaction, he knows I care about my people, but it wouldn't compare with the immense pleasure he would gain from taking me down.

"C'mon Hannibal, if he could pin any of this on you, he wouldn't rest until he had you up in front of a damn firing squad," Face protested with only slight exaggeration.

"So, you deliberately put yourself in the line of fire?" I felt my temper begin to rise.

"Richards, doesn't care about me," Face pointed out. "All I had to do was convince him that it was all down to me and that I would be far more of a liability to you here than I would be cooling my heels in Leavenworth."

"And this was what it took to convince him?" I nodded at his injuries.

"That and giving me that mission to the middle of hell and back to teach me to be a good little soldier."

"Face, he nearly got you killed." Murdock worried.

"People don't like something for nothing. They don't trust it. They need to feel that they've worked for what they get." Face shrugged.

"By working you over?" I protested. "Damn it Face!"

"Yeah man," B.A. added. "You coulda come to us. I'd have convinced Richards to keep his mouth shut!"

"Or we could have given him a little swimming lesson." Ray offered with a tight grin.

"Why didn't you want us to help you, Facey?" Murdock asked sadly.

"Look, this was my fault," Face admitted. "I'm the scam artist, I should have been watching our backs. If one of us had to go down for this, I wasn't taking any of you guys with me." He looked up at me.  "You'd do the same for me." His quiet sincerity took my breath away.

"That's where you're wrong kid," I grate out. "Damn wrong."

I turned away then. I needed a moment to gather my emotions. But not before I caught sight of the stricken look on his face and the shocked expressions of the rest of the team. I couldn't worry about that now. I had a point to make and I wanted to be certain that the kid got the message before he got himself killed.

"Face," I turned back and looked him in the eye. He looked wary, braced, as for rejection. "You listen hard and you listen good. We are a team. That's what makes us stronger. We work together. We listen to one another. We look out for each other. You go off half cocked because of some misplaced sense of honor or duty or whatever and you're nothing but a dammed liability. If I _ever _hear of you trying to sacrifice yourself like some vestal virgin ever again, I'll kick the shit out of you myself. Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant?"

You gotta give Face credit. He may come across sometimes as if his world has come to an end if he gets a wrinkle in his shirt but the kid has guts. There's not many people who would stand up to me when I'm in that mood.

"Yes sir, Colonel, sir," he mocked, his eyes blazing. "Next time, I'll just leave the Colonel to get f…"

"Face," I spoke more gently. "You have to trust us."

That stopped him cold. His jaw dropped open slightly in surprise.

"Yeah, little bro," B.A. spoke into the silence. "You don't gotta fight all your own battles no more. We here for you."

"Course we are," Ray grinned. "You're our lucky charmer Faceman. We'll always be there man."

 "You came after me." He said, almost with a sense of awe.

"That's what a family does, Facey." Murdock put in.

"I .." he swallowed hard and I heard the emotion in his voice. "I haven't had a whole lot of practice of that."

"Well," I gave him a tight smile. "We'll have to do something about that."

He looked up. "Hannibal .." he says warily.

"You're grounded, Lieutenant," I grinned openly at his surprised expression. "So, you and I are going to be spending a whole lot of time together."

"Guys." Face called out plaintively.

"Sorry, Faceman," B.A. chortled. "You on your own man."

"Oh, very funny." Face rolled his eyes.

"Don't fret Facey," Murdock encouraged. "Me and the pineapples will fight to free you."

"C'mon Lieutenant," I pulled him to his feet and steered him towards the bedroom. "Time for bed."

I keep a hand on his back to steady him as he limps slowly towards the bedroom and climbs into the bed.

 "Want me to tuck you in?" I made my tone teasing.

A brief tired smile lit my second's face. "You would as well."

"Damn straight." I perched on the bed and gave him a searching look.

"You doing OK?"

"Its not like I've been shot or anything."

"Still. You've had a rough couple of days."

"I've had worse." Face quipped, apparently without thinking, wincing slightly at the frown that put on my face. "I'm OK. Hannibal. Really."

"You make sure you stay that way, son."

"Yes, Dad." He murmurs sleepily.

I reached out and smoothed a lock of blonde hair off his forehead. He relaxed under my hand and I was pretty sure he was asleep.

"And here I was, thinking I was the one rescuing you." I murmured.

"You already, did," his soft reply surprised me. "The first day we met."


End file.
